Extensible Firmware Interface External Graphic Card, Mainframe System, and Extensible Firmware Interface BIOS Booting Method

Abstract

A central processing unit of a mainframe system is configured to load a physical graphic card driver into a memory of the mainframe system for performing a display function when the mainframe system is not connected to an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) external graphic card. The central processing unit is further configured to load a virtual graphic card driver into the memory of the mainframe system for performing the display function when the mainframe system is connected to the EFI external display card.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An extensible firmware interface (EFI) external graphic card, comprising:
 a graphic processing unit (GPU);   an EFI graphic card driving module, configured to store an EFI graphic card driver;   a connection port; and   a control module, configured to enable an EFI Basic I/O System (BIOS) mainframe system to drive the EFI graphic card driving module when the connection port is connected to the EFI BIOS mainframe system, for loading the EFI graphic card driver from the EFI graphic card driving module to the EFI BIOS mainframe.   
     
     
         2 . The EFI external graphic card of  claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to load the EFI graphic card driver into the EFI BIOS mainframe system during a driver execution environment (DXE) stage of the EFI BIOS mainframe system. 
     
     
         3 . The EFI external graphic card of  claim 2 , wherein the EFI BIOS mainframe system is configured to drive the GPU using the EFI graphic card driver loaded into the EFI BIOS mainframe system. 
     
     
         4 . The EFI external graphic card of  claim 1 , wherein the connection port is a wired USB port, a wireless USB port, or an Internet Protocol (IP) USB port. 
     
     
         5 . A mainframe system, comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a first memory, coupled to the CPU; and   an EFI BIOS system, comprising:
 a second memory, configured to store a virtual graphic card driver; 
   wherein the CPU is configured to determine whether the mainframe system is connected to a physical graphic unit in a first boot procedure of the mainframe system;   wherein the EFI BIOS system is configured to execute the virtual graphic card driver in a DXE stage of the first boot procedure for mounting the virtual graphic card driver on the first memory when the CPU determines that the mainframe system is not connected to a physical graphic unit; and   wherein the CPU is configured to render the physical graphic unit to execute a physical graphic driver built-in in the physical graphic unit in the DXE stage of the first boot procedure for mounting the physical graphic driver on the first memory when the CPU determines that the mainframe system is connected to the physical graphic unit.   
     
     
         6 . The mainframe system of  claim 5 , wherein the second memory is further configured to store an EFI boot loader for executing a second boot procedure of the EFI BIOS system. 
     
     
         7 . The mainframe system of  claim 5 , wherein when the CPU is further configured to load the physical graphic driver from the physical graphic unit to the first memory when the CPU determines that the mainframe system is connected to the physical graphic unit, so that the mainframe system is capable of driving the physical graphic unit. 
     
     
         8 . The mainframe system of  claim 5 , wherein the physical graphic unit is an EFI external graphic card. 
     
     
         9 . The mainframe system of  claim 8 , wherein the EFI external graphic card comprises an EFI graphic card driving module which stores an EFI graphic card driver. 
     
     
         10 . The mainframe system of  claim 9 , wherein the CPU is further configured to drive the EFI external graphic card when the CPU determines that the mainframe system is connected to the physical graphic unit, for mounting the EFI graphic card driver on the first memory. 
     
     
         11 . The mainframe system of  claim 5 , wherein the connection port is a wired USB port, a wireless USB port, or an IP USB port. 
     
     
         12 . The mainframe system of  claim 5  wherein the EFI BIOS system is configured to select one of a plurality of physical graphic units and to render the selected physical graphic unit to execute the built-in physical graphic driver for mounting the physical graphic driver on the first memory when the CPU determines that the mainframe system is connected to the plurality of physical graphic units during the first boot procedure. 
     
     
         13 . A booting method of an EFI BIOS system, comprising:
 determining whether a mainframe system is connected to a physical graphic unit;   executing a virtual graphic card driver stored in the EFI BIOS system included by the mainframe system for mounting the virtual graphic card driver on a first memory of the mainframe system when the mainframe system is determined to not be connected to a physical graphic unit; and   driving the physical graphic unit for mounting a physical graphic driver stored in the physical graphic unit on the first memory when the mainframe system is determined to be connected to the physical graphic unit.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 executing a boot security phase (SEC phase) of the mainframe system;   executing a pre-EFI initialization phase (PEI) of the mainframe system; and   executing a DXE of the mainframe system.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein driving the physical graphic unit for mounting a physical graphic driver stored in the physical graphic unit on the first memory when the mainframe system is determined to be connected to the physical graphic unit comprises:
 loading a graphic driver of the physical graphic unit into the first memory when the mainframe system is determined to be connected to the physical graphic unit, for rendering the mainframe system to utilize the graphic driver for driving the physical graphic unit.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the physical graphic unit is an EFI external graphic card. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the EFI external graphic card comprises an EFI graphic card driving module which stores an EFI graphic card driver. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein driving the physical graphic unit for mounting a physical graphic driver stored in the physical graphic unit on the first memory when the mainframe system is determined to be connected to the physical graphic unit comprises:
 driving the EFI external graphic card when the mainframe system is determined to be connected to the physical graphic unit, for mounting the EFI graphic card driver on the first memory.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the EFI external graphic card utilizes a wired USB port, a wireless USB port, or an IP USB port.